Snapring tool



Dec. 16, 1969 J. L. ETHRIDGE ET AL 3,483,606

SNAPRING TOOL Filed Aug. 10, 1967 Fig- Jalm L. Efhridge Rupert A. Taylor INVENTOKS "llnited States Patent 3,433,666 SNAEPRENG T091.

John L. Ethridge, 1011 N. Fillmore 79107, and Rupert A. Taylor, 2031 3. (Bug 79109, both of Amarillo, Tex.

Filed Aug. it), 1967, Ser. No. 659,749 lnt. Cl. 323p 19/04 US. Cl. 29-229 Claims ABSTRACT (BF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to hand tools and implements which are capable of assembling and disassembling bodily insertable and removable retainers, more particularly, split-type snaprings such as are commonly seated in key ing grooves and wherein the snapring may be in a position exteriorly encircling a shaft or may be removably lodged in a groove on the interior of a tubular shaft or shaft housing, as the case may be.

More specifically, the herein disclosed tool lends itself to practical use when the user is called upon to expand, dislodge and bodily remove a conventional split-type snapring from an endless groove encircling a shaft or, alternatively, to contract, dislodge and remove, or replace, a snapring from a retaining groove on the interior of a hollow shaft or a shaft housing, as the case may be. The objective of the invention is to provide a tool which greatly assists the user in coping with and effectually solving the problem of removing or replacing snaprings which are located in places which are difficult of access.

Briefly the tool comprises a pair of coacting sleeves wherein the inner sleeve has a forward end provided with a first outstanding snapring engaging stud. This stud is located at the forward end and the opposite rearward end is provided with a handle. The outer sleeve telescopingly receives and snugly and rotatably surrounds the inner sleeve. It is provided at its forward end with a second outstanding snapring engaging stud which corresponds in construction and purpose with the first-named stud. Handle means similar to and cooperating with the first-named handle means is provided on and carried by the rearward end of the outer sleeve. The respective forward or outer ends of the sleeves are fiat and terminate in a common plane. The studs are alike and adjustable toward and from each other in parallel working relationship and are adapted to be removably fitted into stud holes such as are provided in the respective spaced apart terminal ends or cars on the aforementioned snapring.

In carrying out the principles of the invention it will be evident that the flat flush forward ends of the sleeves coact in firmly abutting a cooperating surface of the snapring in a manner to prevent the ring from buckling or distorting whereby to overcome the likelihood of binding on the shaft when removing or replacing the ring. The construction of the tool shown is advantageous in that it can be used in places which are difficult of access and which might necessitate the removal of other component parts to get to the snapring when using prior art types of ring removing tools.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a vieW in perspective showing a fragmentary portion of a shaft encased within a hollow shaft housing and showing the improved tool and how it is constructed and readied for use in dislodging and removing an internal snapring.

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale with parts shown in section and elevation and illustrating the manner in which the studs are intended to engage the snapring with a view toward contracting and removing Or replacing it as the case may be.

And FIG. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

With further reference to the drawing, the numeral 6 designates a tubular shaft housing surrounding a shaft 8 with an end portion 16 projecting beyond the open end 12 of the housing. The endless groove on the interior of the housing is denoted at 14 and a conventional insert able and removable snapring 16 is seated in the groove. The spaced apertured ears 18 are shown located in a place which, as experience has shown, is difficult of access. The tool shown at the right in FIG. 1 can be used for readily removing or replacing snaprings whether they be used in the manner shown or mounted, for example, on and encompassing the exterior of a parts assembling and mounting shaft (not shown).

The aforementioned elongated inner sleeve is denoted by the numeral 26 and has a uniform bore 22 extending therethrough and opening through the forward and rearward ends. The forward end of the. sleeve is broad and fiat as denoted at 24. The rearward end 26 is provided in a peripheral surface with a shallow recess 28. This recessed end portion is encompassed by an attachable and detachable handling collar 30 which has a screw-threaded radial bore 32 into which the threaded end portion 34 of a handle or pin 36 is screwed. The threaded portion can be. screwed into and against the bottom of the recess 28 in a manner to clampingly hold the collar 30 in place. The forward end portion of the inner sleeve is provided with an outstanding snap ring engaging stud 38. This stud is carried by a blocklike lug 40 which is keyed in a kerf 42 provided therefor. The rojecting portion of the lug carries the stud in a ready-to-function position. The companion outer sleeve 44 snugly and rotatably surrounds the sleeve. 20 and the rearward end portion is increased in thickness as at 46 and is milled or knurled at 48 to provide an appropriate grip. This grip portion is provided with a screw-threaded hole 50 into which the screw-threaded shank 52 of a second handle or pin 54 is threaded and removably held. This handleequipped portion 46 abuts a coacting surface 56 of the aforementioned collar 39. The forward end portion of the outer sleeve is provided with a clearance notch 58 of the dimension shown in FIG. 1. The aforementioned studequipped lug 49 is movable back and forth in the notch and is engageable with the limit stop shoulders 60. It will be noted that the forward end portion 62 of the outer sleeve is flat and flush with the end 24- and is provided at one end portion of the notch with an outstanding stud 64. These studs 38 and 64 are designed and adapted to fit removably but retentively in the apertured ears of the insertable and removable snapring 16.

FIG. 1 shows the exposed but recessed snapring 16 with the manually usable tool at the right in readiness for use. FIG. 2 shows the stud-equipped ends of the sleeves 20 and 44 abutting the snapring and with one of the studs engaged in an apertured ear in a manner to act on the ring, that is, to contract the ring when the two sleeves are moved or rotated relative to each other to bring the opposed parallel studs 38 and 64 toward each other. When the tool is used in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2 for example it is obvious that the protruding or projecting end portion 10 of the shaft 8 telescopes into the bore 22.

It will be evident that the flat flush rigid leading or forward ends 24 and 62 of the sleeves firmly abut a coacting surface of the ring 16 to minimize the likelihood of the ring distorting itself in a manner that would interfere with either the removal or replacement steps. In fact the sleeves are rigid enough to depress a spring (not shown) that might be in an assembly abutting the snapring While it is be- 2 ing put in place. It follows that the tool can be advantageously used to either remove or replace by contracting or expanding snaprings on either a shaft or an inside housing. This tool can remove a snapring which is holding a part or an assembly from a shaft or inside a housing when such part or assembly is retained in place b the snapring as no clearance is required by the tool beyond the snapring that is desired to be removed. Then, too, the user of this tool has more control over the snapring once it is removed from the groove or recess in the shaft or housing in which it is seated. It follows that the tool, as should be clear, well serves the purposes for which it is intended.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described,

and accordingl all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use when called upon to 1) expand, dislodge and remove a split snapring from an external seating groove encompassing a shaft or (2) contract, dislodge and remove a split snapring from an internal seating groove in a hollow shaft or shaft housing; a hand tool comprising, an inner sleeve having a forward end provided with a first integrally joined outstanding snapring engaging stud, first handling means carried by the rearward end of said inner sleeve, an outer sleeve of a length less than said inner sleeve telescopingly receiving and snugly but rotatably surrounding said inner sleeve and having a forward end fiush with the forward end of said inner sleeve and also provided with a second integrally joined outstanding snapring engaging stud corresponding and cooperable with said first-named stud, second handling means similar to and cooperating with said first handling means and carried by the rearward end of said outer sleeve, said studs being alike, parallel with and situated in a plane between the peripheral surfaces of the respective sleeves and circumferentially adjustable toward and from each other in parallel working relationship and being adapted to be removably fitted into stud holes such as are provided at the respective spaced apart terminal ends of said split snapring, the forward end surfaces of said sleeves being flat and smooth whereby the flat flush surfaces apply uniform end thrust pressure to the surfaces of the snap ring when in use in a manner to prevent buckling and distortion of the snapring when said studs are. temporarily engaged with said snapring, the handling means at each rearward end embodying a straight pin which is disposed at right angles to the lengthwise axes of said sleeves, said pins providing handles which can be used to turn the sleeves relative to each other and serving to provide the manually applicable leverage needed for expanding or contracting the snapring.

2. The tool defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said sleeves are provided at their respective forward ends with means limiting the degree of rotation of the sleeves relative. to each other, and wherein the means at the forward ends comprises a radial lug fixed on the periphery of the inner sleeve and workable from left to right in a limited clearance notch formed in the coacting forward end portion of the outer sleeve.

3. The tool defined in and according to claim 2 and wherein the aforementioned stud on the inner sleeve is carried by and projects outwardly from said lug, and the stud on the outer sleeve is located at one limit stop edge portion of said notch, said studs being of identical length and cross-section.

4. A tool for removing and replacing a bodily insertable and removable snapring of a type having spaced ends with integral apertured ears comprising an elongated rigid inner sleeve having a smooth fiat forward end provided with a radial lug projecting beyond a predetermined surface, said lug being provided with a rigid outstanding snapring engaging stud, the rearward end of said sleeve being provided with a recess opening through said rearward end, a collar encircling said rearward end, said collar provided with a first pin having a threaded shank screwed into a screwthreaded bore provided therefor in said collar, said shank projecting into said recess and constituting a setscrew and serving to secure the collar in a given position, that portion of the pin projecting beyond the periphery of the collar providing a handle, and outer sleeve telescopingly receiving and snugly but rotatably surrounding said inner sleeve and having a forward end flush with the forward end of said inner sleeve and also provided with a second outstanding snapring engaging stud corresponding and cooperable with said first-named stud, the rearward end of said outer sleeve having a knurled grip abutting said collar, said grip being provided with a screw-threaded hole, a second pin having a screw-threaded shank screwed into said hole and engageable with a surface of said inner sleeve, a portion of said second pin projecting beyond said grip and constituting a handle which is alignable and cooperable with said first-named handle, the forward end of said second sleeve. having a clearance notch in which the aforementioned lug is shiftably operable.

5. A tool for removing and replacing a bodily insertable and removable snapring of a type having spaced ends with integral apertured ears comprising an elongated rigid inner sleeve having a smooth flat forward end provided with a lug projecting radially beyond a predetermined peri heral surface of said inner sleeve, said lug being provided with a laterally disposed rigid outstanding snapring engaging stud, the rearward end of said sleeve being provided with a recess opening through said rearward end, a bodily attachable and detachable collar encircling said rearward end, said collar provided with a first pin having a threaded shank screwed into a screw-threaded bore provided therefor in said collar, said shank projecting into said recess, constituting a setscrew, and serving to secure said collar in a given fuctioning position, that portion of the pin projecting radially beyond the periphery of the collar providing a handle, an outer sleeve telescopingly receiving and snugly but rotatably surrounding said inner sleeve and having a forward end flush with the forward end of said inner sleeve and also provided with a second outstanding snapring engaging stud corresponding and cooperable with said first-named stud, said outer sleeve being of a length less than said inner sleeve and provided 3,483,606 5 6 with a knurled grip having a rearward end abutting the References Cited forward surface of said collar, said grip being provided UNITED STATES PATENTS with a radial screw-threaded hole, a second pin associa- 2 441 846 5/1948 schaafi 29 229 tivel co erabl with said fi t i and h vin screW- n Y e rs n a a 2 518 142 8/1950 Huntin ton 29 229 threaded shank screwed into sald hole and engageable with a surface of said inner sleeve, a portion of said second FOREIGN PATENTS pin projecting radially beyond said knurled grip and constituting a handle which is alignable and cooperable with 804,483 11/1953 Gmat Bntamsaid first-named handle, the forward end of said second sleeve. having a clearance notch in which the aforemen- 10 ROBERT RIORDON Pnmary Exammer tioned lug is located and shiftably operable. J. C. PETERS, Assistant Examiner 

